The German End of Game Statement

I knew I should have supported Munich with the Berlin unit instead of taking Silesia, but I made a stupid and unnecessary risk.

It just proves my ineptitude. ;)

My other major mistake was fighting France too long, letting Turkey (or as I liked to sometimes call him in my messages to the master, Turnkey) grow too powerful to keep him staved off.

Anyway, that's my 2 pfennig worth.

In the preface to his EOG, France asked, "who wasn't setting draw during the last couple of seasons? Was it Germany or Turkey? It looked for all the world like Turkey was resigned to a 3-way." For my part, I set draw after the master mentioned it.

France also wrote: "Germany has gone abandoned and been replaced by a much more experienced player. At first, I thought this might be an advantage for me." --Ha!

He also wrote, "His HoF record shows that he has a good bit of experience (more than me), but not much success." This shows that (despite my experience) I'm a newbie!

France noted after my first Fall moves: "Pretty darn conservative for fall moves. He's letting me catch up. He'll be able to munch on a few more SC's in the east though -- I have no such opportunity in the west." I had looked at the history, and had seen that it was basically F/G/T. I wanted to be in position to defend against either (or both) of you, and not attacking you (for the time being), but yet staying in position to attack, I felt, was the best decision.

Later, France wondered why I retreated from the Norwegian Sea. Strike it up to big, fat, stupid newbie mistakes.

Speaking of the Norwegian, France soon thereafter appealed for peace using a fleet there while simultaneously taking Belgium from me by force. In his EOG, he wondered how I would read that. I was quite confused by the signal sent by the fleet. When I saw that, I thought, "That's odd," and the mixed signal made me dismiss it altogether.

When France noted, in his EOG, that Turkey had been passed by me for the spot of endgame leader, it is true that at that point, I thought I was on the way to victory.

After a particular (1908) build season, France said that he thought at that point (because of my choice of an army build in Berlin) that I was gearing up to fight Turkey. Well, at that point, I was still looking to attack France, but felt my five fleets would be adequate. I just needed defensive strength in the east.

France -- when I dislodged you in Norway and you disbanded rather than retreat to St. Petersburg, it was this show, in and of itself, that showed (to me) your intention to hold off Turkey.

At the end of the game, I actually wasn't trying for a stalemate line with Munich (though I know in retrospect that I should have been). It just seemed to me to be the place to go with the forces I had available. The stalemate line as France pointed it out in his EOG would have worked...had I had the grey matter to make it work...which I have clearly demonstrated in this game to be non-existent.

My sincere condolences to France for my blundering mistakes constantly throughout the game. It really should have been a 3-way.

French response: Don't sweat it; I wasn't angry for more than a day (wink). Seriously, I don't take HoF points as seriously as some others do. It leaves me with a bad taste to finish a well-played game with a loss. But hell, the same sort of thing is happening in another game that I'm playing right now, so I'm getting used to it.

You might want to be more conscious of stalemate lines in the endgame of future Dip games, though. Other people might be quite furious about that sort of an ending. Once it became clear that France and Germany wanted to contain Turkey, that should have been the only goal. Just something to keep in mind for the future.

The main lesson that I've learned is the one you mentioned in your response; be more conscious of stalemate lines. I will definitely do that.

Anyway, I hope I can be an ally of yours in the future. ;) (I wouldn't want to go against you.)

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